


Kindness at Its Best

by Grace_Emiliane



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-05-27 05:17:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15017456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grace_Emiliane/pseuds/Grace_Emiliane
Summary: Grace, close friend of agent Romanoff and agent Barton answers the call when a mysterious God appears and claims to rule the Earth. She fights along the team, becoming an Avenger herself.For someone who was used to work alone often, this is a big change for her. When she comes back from her short vacation, she finds out the Avengers have custody over Loki, a decision from the Allfather. She takes it to be kind to the man, there's something about him that captivates her, something deep inside.  Grace sees through Loki but the man is broken and refuses to acknowledge this part of himself. The role of a villain pushed onto him but now, he has a chance to redeem himself.(My first fanfic pls be nice





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so, first fanfiction like it is said in the summary, which I suck at btw, what I have right now is kind of boring. I won't lie, I'm trying to start from a canon point in the story so obviously I'm starting with the Avengers. Trying hard to stay loyal to the plot while inserting Grace here and there. I've had to read the script so many times and I'm convinced I have it memorized by now. Chapter 5 is where it takes a really independent turn so look forward to that! Again, I hope you enjoy and please leave comments to tell me how I can improve!

‘There was an idea called the Avengers initiative.The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to fight the battles we never could.’

 

“Sir, please put the spear down!” Fury’s orotund voice fills the laboratory, his one eye narrows as it watches the figure that emerged from the vortex powered by the Tesseract. Agent Barton stalks closely to Fury, his eyes glued on the intruder like a hawk. As the spear is pointed towards them, Barton tackles his ally onto the cold floors now covered in papers and brokens machines from all ends of the underground laboratory. A neon blue light shoots right where the two stood merely a second ago, barely missing it. Chaos breaks into the room, machine guns are shooting multiple bullets at the hostile intruder but none of them hit their mark, bouncing off the man and onto the floor around him. In the blink of an eye, the man has taken down everyone standing with the help of hidden knives and of the energy blasts his spear, scepter, released. Silence, then footsteps.

“You have heart.” The dark haired man finally says as he approaches Barton. The agent tries to pull his gun out when his hand is caught, cold sweats running down his forehead as Clint watches the man press the sharp end of his scepter onto his torso. Hawkeye freezes, then discards his weapon as he stands, looking at the person now in control of his every movement. He doesn’t stop with Clint, several SHIELD personnel follow.

Nick uses the chaos as an opportunity to store the Tesseract into its case, attempting to flee the scene in order to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.

“Please don’t, I still need that.”

Stopping on his tracks, Fury turns to face the man. “This doesn’t have to get any messier.” A low chuckle, “Of course it does, I’ve come too far for anything else. I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose.”

“Loki? Brother of Thor?” Speaks Selvig as he has avoided the disaster that took place merely a minute ago. “We have no quarrel with your people.” Fury adds, finally understanding the origins of Loki. With a smug face, Loki agrees. “An ant has no quarrel with a boot.” Irritated, the head of SHIELD slightly raises a brow. “You planning on stepping on us?”

“I come with glad tidings, of a world made free.”

“Free from what?”

“Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart…”Swiftly, the God of mischief turns on his heel, facing Selvig behind him. He wastes no time placing the end of his scepter against his torso, just like he had done to Agent Barton. “You will know peace.”

“Yeah, you say peace, I kind of think of the other thing.” Fury says before the Tesseract's energy cloud rapidly builds into an implosion from the vacuum ceiling. “Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow. Drop a hundred feet of rock on us. He means to bury us.” Clint informs Loki.

“Like The Pharaohs of Odin.” Fury adds.

“He's right. The portal is collapsing in on itself. You got maybe two minutes before this goes critical.” Selvig says urgently. A barely audible sigh leaves Loki’s thin lips. “Well then…” With a glance over his shoulder, Clint shoots Fury with a bullet with no hesitation and marches to grab the case containing the Tesseract. Loki follows as well as Sevig and all the SHIELD personnel he had brainwashed previously thanks to the power of the God’s scepter.

 

Hawkeye leads the group into the parking lot, pointing at the men following him before addressing Maria. “We need these vehicles.” Maria takes in the appearance of Loki, turning back to Clint,her voice filled with suspicion. “Who’s that?”

“He didn’t tell me.” Is all Clint says, gesturing to his group to get in the truck. The Agent lets her gaze remain on the men for a few more moments before slowly walking away. As if Nick read her mind, his voice comes through the walkie talkie causing Loki and Clint to snap their attention to her, the archer already pulling his pistol out.

“Hill, do you copy?! Barton is…” Immediately, she spins on her heel, gun in hand and already firing at her fellow agent. Barton copies the gesture before swiftly making his way into the driver’s seat, driving off as Maria is still shooting at him.

“He's got the Tesseract! Track it down! The energy is really brewing a fucking shit storm from the vacuum chamber ceiling.”

Slipping into her own jeep, she pursues Barton’s truck leading other SHIELD trucks with her. They finally manage to block the truck in an alley where it comes to a stop abruptly, the tires screeching against the concrete road. Irritated, Loki lifts himself to his feet, raising his glowing scepter to emit yet another energy blast, successfully flipping the trucks around them, allowing Barton to step on the gas and put some distance between them and Maria. But it doesn’t end there, Agent Hill follows them, pulling up to the left of their truck then passing their vehicle so she can get ahead of them. Pulling on her breaks, she swerves the car into a 360, now facing Clint’s truck and drives in reverse.

Hawkeye’s arm reaches out the window, opening fire at her merciless. Hill shoots her windshield open before returning fire as well.

Back at the laboratory, Nick barely manages to escape thanks to his helicopter, the Tesseract's energy cloud now shrinks into a ball of white light before building up into an implosion, the blastwave even hitting Coulson’s van with a jolt several miles away, even causes the tunnel to cave in onto Hill’s jeep, nearly trapping her completely under the blanket of rocks. Clint uses the opportunity to escape, diving into the desert landscape. Fortunately, Nick’s helicopter is quick on their tail. From the chopper’s door, Fury opening fire at the truck.

In his short fit of rage, Loki points his scepter at him, shooting another blue energy blast. The flying vehicle catches fire but Nick jumps off and onto the desert floor before any of it can harm him. When he recovers, the helicopter barrels behind him and Fury strives to shoot at the running truck but they are already too far. Glaring at the now smiling Loki.

“Director? Director Fury, do you copy?” Phil says through the walkie talkie.

“The Tesseract is with the hostile, I have men down. Hill?”

Climbing out of her now sandwiched jeep, Maria responds with breathy voice. “A lot of men still under, don't know how many survivors.”

“Sound the general call. I want every living soul not working rescue missions looking for that brief case.”

“Roger that.”

“Coulson, get back to base. This is a level seven. As of right now, we are at war.”

“What do we do?”

Fury brings his attention to the sky, a look of hope washing over his face.

 

* * *

 

 

A soft chiming resonates into the dimly lighted tavern as yet another customer makes way to sit on one of the stools by the counter. In the short instant the entrance is unsecured, the cold evening breeze makes way into the cozy bar. Words are shared in faint voices between friends and lovers. Most ears are preoccupied, letting the modulating and enchanting voice lure them into tranquility and peacefulness. The small stage is occupied by a microphone stand and a young woman. Her strapless scarlet dress fitting with the dark brown wooden walls, sticking the her tall figure and showing of her large hips. The small spotlight directly above making her prominent to the small audience as they hum along to the melody. If it weren’t for her alluring voice, most would claim the voluminous layered black hair reaching upper part of her thighs would already made heads turn, considering hair that long was not very common for its impracticality.

It does not take long for the dame’s eyes to drift elsewhere, towards her cellphone more specifically. A list of missed calls fully captures her attention. Maria hill listed multiple times on the screen. Taking in consideration they wouldn’t bother her during her short vacation unless absolutely necessary, she slips outside and into the chilly Spring evening.

 

“Agent Masson speaking, I apologize, I was away from my device.” She explained easily, strolling through the quiet streets of the city Odense, situated in the Kingdom of Denmark. The Scandinavian country being home to half of her, the other half coming from Asia.

“Director Fury needs you to suit up, you’ll be joined by other people.” Came agent Hill’s urgent reply. “I thought I was still off until the end of the week. What’s wrong?” A rather quiet voice asked with a tint of hesitation. If they were calling her in when she had been promised a few days off, things must have gotten serious back in the States.

“The Tesseract has been taken by an Asgardian named Loki, Agent Barton and Selvig are with him. We don’t have time so we put together a team. A jet is already towards your way. You’ll receive your next orders once you meet up with the others. Good luck, Agent Masson.” Maria wasted no time in explaining, not even giving the other woman a chance of responding when the call ended. A groan escaped her lips, she made way to her hotel.

It had taken the singer a little under an hour to retrieve her belongings and to change into a tight black suit, similar to a catsuit. The long flowing locks of hair now tied into a high ponytail, leaving the short side bangs on either side of Agent Masson’s face. Sliding on thick silver-like bracelets onto her covered wrists. Glancing at the time, she could definitely wait a few more hours before they asked her to join them.

Eventually, the quinjet is moments away, it wasn’t very silent. The agent waits patiently by a large clearing, she would save them the trouble of finding somewhere to land after having to make a detour to simply pick her up. Once it lands, the woman is greeted by Agent Coulson, he steps aside, welcoming her to climb in. Masson bows her head as she passes by him. It’s then that the spy spots another man, muscular, tall, blond with blue eyes. She swallows the lump in her throat, sitting on the opposite side of the blond, her bag placed near her.

“Hi, I’m agent Masson. Grace Emiliane Masson, the Siren, but you can just call me Grace.” The woman states, forcing herself to be the first to start the conversation. “Steve Rogers.” Is all he says, blue hues returning to the tablet in his hands. Surprise clearly overtaking any composure she had.

“Sorry for calling you in while you’re on vacation, Grace. How was Denmark?” Phil asks. The quinjet is already lifting off. “Beautiful as usual… I wasn’t told where we were heading though.” Grace adds hesitantly with her quiet voice. Agent Coulson getting the hint that she wouldn’t be much of a talker. With that, Steve gives her a questioning look, his eyebrow arching. “Right, we’re going to Stuttgart, Germany. We are already close.” The agent fills in, turning his attention to Captain America.

“We’re forty minutes out from the base, sir.” The pilots notifies. Standing, Phil walks over to Steve. “So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?” Nodding, Coulson continues. “A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula.”

Agent Masson’s brown orbs catch sight on the footage playing on Steve’s tablet. It’s the Hulk’s attack on the army of Culver University. The Hulk roars with fury as he slams down a jeep apart.

“Didn’t really go his way, did it?”

“Not so much. When he's not that thing though, guy's like a Stephen Hawking.”  
Both Steve and Grace look at Coulson in confusion. “He's like a smart person. I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you, officially.” Captain America sends him a smile.

“I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping.” At that the spy furrows her brows, looking away from him. Feeling the second hand embarrassment settling into her cheeks. Steve simply looks down, closing the tablet before walking away to the side, Coulson following him. After that, Grace stops listening, giving the two privacy to continue their talk.

So she’s working with Captain America now. Great, so much for trying to keep a low profile. While the singer would perform on her time off, it was the only exception when it came to receiving attention being drawn towards her. The social anxiety toying with her brain far too often. Well, now she had to not make a fool out of herself in front of the rest.


	2. Chapter 2

Mindless soldiers rush within the tunnels of the dark underground laboratory as it currently served as the God of Mischief’s base for their operation that would take action merely hours from this very moment. They were preparing to infiltrate the museum to gather access to the next step to their operation. Loki’s blue hues dart across the room and landing onto Selvig’s figure. The scientist is working on some sort of CMS device. Letting his eyes wander, the God leaves the other to his work. A sigh leaves his pale lips as he sits himself down. His blue hues fall shut, the scepter glows in his hand, materializing him into a dark throne room.

 

“The Chitauri grow restless.”

 

“Let them go at themselves, I will lead them into glorious battle.” He retorts, annoyance clear in his tone.

 

“Battle? Against the meager might of Earth?” A scoff. 

 

“Glorious, not lengthy. If your force is as formidable as you claim.”

 

A pause. “You question us? You question HIM? He, who put the scepter in your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out, defeated?”

 

“I was a king! The rightful king of Asgard! Betrayed!”

 

“Your ambition is little, born of childish need. We look beyond the Earth to greater worlds the Tesseract will unveil.”

 

“You don't have the Tesseract yet.” The Other dashes over, intending to harm Loki. They stop shortly after having the God’s scepter pointed at them. “I don't threaten but until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command, you are but words.” He states, confidently. 

 

“You will have your war, Asgardian. If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he can't find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something as sweet as pain.” With that, the unknown being brings their large hand to the God’s head. It inflicts some pain onto the man as he is sent back to Earth, a menacing look on his sharp features. 

  
  


The Quinjet hovers in the air for a few moments before the pilots lands it onto a rather massive battleship known as the Helicarrier. As the back of the jet shifts open, Coulson, Rogers and Masson walk down the ramp only to be greeted by Romanoff. 

 

“Agent Romanoff, Captain rogers, agent Masson.” Phil introduces swiftly.

 

“Ma’am?” Steve adds to which she responds with a quick word of greeting before turning back to Phil. “They need you on the bridge.” He nods, turning on his heel, “See you there.”

 

Grace knew Natasha from working with her in a few stealth missions prior to this day so she stood next to the other woman, being more familiar with her than her other companion. 

 

“There was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?” Black Widow addresses Steve, a hint of amusement in her tone. “Trading cards?” Confused, his blond brows furrow. “They're vintage, he's very proud.” That manages to bring a chuckle out of Grace, earning a smile from Natasha when she looks her way. 

 

As they march towards to railing of the ship side by side, their eyes land on Bruce Banner, he looks quite pale, the singer notes mentally. Nervous? Not unlikely, she was as well. 

 

“Dr. Banner.” Steve is the first one to approach him, shaking his hands. “Oh, yeah. Hi. They told me you'd be coming.” The man manages to speak despite looking like a ghost. 

 

“Word is you can find the cube.”

 

“Is that the only word on me?”

”Only word I care about.”  Banner takes the sentiment in, changing the subject. “Must be strange for you, all of this.”

 

“Well, this is actually kind of familiar.” Steve contradicts before Natasha interrupts them. “Gentlemen, you may wanna step inside in a minute.” 

 

“It gets a little hard to breathe.” Grace contributes to the conversation with her soft voice, a small smile gracing her soft features. The ground beneath their feet suddenly starts to shake, the Helicarrier is preparing to fly. “Is this a submarine?”

 

“Really? They wanted me in a submerged pressurized metal container?” The genius asks, moving closer to the edge with Steve. Four large lift fans mounted on the sides lift into the air vtol flight. The Captain watches in awe as Banner smiles. “Oh no. This is much  _ worse.” _

  
  


The four then make their way to meet Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD, passing through the glorious and gleaming bridge. “Gentlemen.” Steve has an exchange with Nick, passing him a ten dollar bill without a word. After putting it away, Fury approaches Banner and extends his hand to which he reluctantly shakes slowly. “Doctor, thank you for coming.”

 

“Thanks for asking nicely. So, uh... how long am I staying?”

 

“Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the clear.”

 

“Where are you with that?” Banner asks. Nick simply turns his head towards Coulson. “We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. cellphones, laptops. If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us.” As the agent explains, Natasha catches glimpse of an image of Agent Barton on a computer screen. Noticing the other woman’s gaze lingers on the screen, Grace takes a step closer, intending to take a peak on what has gotten the redhead so invested. “That's still not gonna find them in time.” Black Widow finally says. “You have to narrow the field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?” The genius agrees, turning to Nick as he questions. 

 

“How many are there?” Fury shoots back easily. “Call every lab you know, tell them put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?” 

 

“Agent Romanoff and agent Masson, would you show Dr.Banner to his laboratory, please.” The two women agree silently, already leaving the room. “Hi, sorry. I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Grace.” Banner gives her a slow nod before Natasha’s louder voice steals his attention. “You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys.”

  
  


After showing Banner to his laboratory, Grace steps out to lean her back against the cool glass, letting her brown eyes close and takes a deep breath. “How are you holding up? From what I remember, you usually work alone.” Natasha’s voice catches the singer off guard slightly, brown hues meeting green. “Well, I won’t lie. I’m extremely stressed out. I didn’t expect to be called in let alone called to be part of a team.” She admits, appreciating the hand that squeeze her shoulder. “If it makes you feel better, you hide it just fine. Well, not from me, I know you more than the others do.” A dainty smile graces Black Widow’s pale face. From working together in the past, the two had gotten closer. Grace even letting Natasha break her shell. She had gotten used to speak without holding her words back. 

 

“I’m just glad you’re here, I would have had a breakdown if I were alone with Captain America and Dr. Banner. They’re nice but so intimidating at the same time, it’s conflicting.” Grace sighs, her head hits the sturdy glass behind her. “Oh, I understand. Just, remember you’re strong and capable of holding your own.” 

 

“Sure, Nat… Hey, about Clint-” “Yeah, I’m unsure of what’s going on with him but he wouldn’t betray SHIELD like that.” Silence fills the air around them, the two in deep thought. It doesn’t take long for Natasha to break it, her green orbs looking at her own wrist briefly. “Come, it’s time to go assist the Captain.”

 

* * *

 

“You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing.” Captain America lands in front of the elderly man, successfully deflecting Loki’s attack with his titanium shield. “The soldier. A man out of time.” The God greets, regaining his footing. “I'm not the one who's out of time.” Above the Captain, the Quinjet arrives and reveals a machine gun pointing directly at the God. “Loki, drop the weapon and stand down.” Natasha’s flat voice reverberates through the speakers. By her side, Grace is piloting the Quinjet. “This guy’s all over the place.” The redhead says but it’s only audible for her friend beside her. Humming in agreement, Grace quickly lifts the jet higher into the air, avoiding a light blue energy blast aimed for them. “I can’t believe he’s holding his own against the Captain… He’s beating him.” The singer comments, a tint of worry lingering in her tone. They should help their comrade but shooting their firearm would be unwise because of all the innocent civilians right by the two men. 

 

Green hues flicker towards the screen before looking up in slight irritation. “Agent Romanoff, did you miss me?” Out of nowhere, Iron Man passes the jet and shoots down Loki with a blast. Shortly after landing right before the God, Tony summons every piece of weaponry available from his suit, all of them aiming at the man on the ground. “Make your move, Reindeer Games.” Immediately, Loki brings his pale hands up, a sign of surrender and his armour materializes away. “Good move.”

 

Once Captain America and Iron Man bring Loki onto the jet, handcuffed and left to sit on his own, the two woman pilot the Quinjet back to the Helicarrier. Grace turns her head back, glancing over her shoulder to check on everyone while they silently fly back. Steve is in a hushed conversation with Tony, Nat is staring at the dark sky. Then deep brown meets icy blue. Those eyes… They seem almost sad, desperate. She knows not to give any criminal any pity but, Grace feels something odd in this whole situation. Loki almost seemed happy to have been caught. Why? 

 

Out of nowhere, thunder greets their ears and lighting makes the jet shake violently. The God snaps his head upwards, his face paling and his brows furrowed. “What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?” Steve asks curiously, approaching Loki slowly. “I'm not overly fond of what follows.” 

 

A bright light blinds everyone on the jet for a split second then a loud noise directly above them. A blond man opens the ramp, taking a moment to take note of the faces on the jet before grabbing Loki’s neck and flying right out. Everyone is left dumbstruck, Tony is the first to make the move, putting his helmet on and flies after the two men. Captain America following behind him. 

 

The two girls are left on the ship since some need to keep it supervised. “Nat, I don’t think Loki is our real enemy. No bad guy would be happy to have been caught if their real purpose was to create chaos.” 

 

“It’s odd, you’re right. We still need to secure him though. Maybe he’ll talk once he’s in a cage.” Natasha adds, stretching her neck before lowering the jet. “Let’s have the jet ready for the boys when they get him back.” 

 

* * *

  
  


“He really grows on you, doesn't he?” Banner forces a laugh. “Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor,  what's his play?” Steve turns to face the God of Thunder. “He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract.” Thor explains, voice loud and clear. “An army? From outer space?” Captain America questions with disbelief in his tone. The world has changed a lot while he was asleep. 

 

“So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for.”

 

“Selvig?” “He's an astrophysicist.”

 

“He’s a friend.” Thor states with serious tonality. “Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours.” Natasha contributes to the topic, a deep breath escaping her nose. “About that, Thor, right? Has Loki always acted this way? You are his brother so you should know. When I caught a glimpse of him on the jet earlier he almost seemed… terrified.” Grace speaks up, most of her words directed at the blond God. Maybe this was not the best time to do so but it left her with a horrible gut feeling since it happened. Thor, muscular arms crossed on his chest gaze meeting hers. “He would pull tricks on me but nothing this serious. I do know what you are thinking, Lady Grace. I do believe someone is controlling him. Loki has never been like this in our thousands of years.” The singer gives the God a nod before settling back in her seat, deep in thought. 

 

“I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him.” 

 

“Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother.” Thor is quick to defend his family.

 

“He killed eighty people in two days.”

 

“He's adopted.”

 

* * *

  
  


“War hasn't started yet.” Nick walks into the room, Grace follows closely around him. “You think you can make Loki tell us what the Tesseract is?” He asks, Thor nodding his head. “I do not know. Loki's mind is far afield, it's not just power he craves, it's vengeance upon me. There's no pain that would prize his need from him.” 

 

“A lot of guys think that, until the pain stops.”

 

“What are you asking me to do?” “I'm asking. What are you prepared to do?”

 

“Loki is a prisoner.” 

 

“Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat that wants to be here?” Everyone falls silent, Thor averting his gaze. Grace’s pink lips press into a thin line.”Excuse me, Director. I remembered something I had to discuss with agent Romanoff.” Without sparing another second, she slips out of the room to avoid any protest. They’re keeping Loki in the detention room, she could squeeze in to get a few words out of him. In and out, right. That’s her plan. The desperation and fear Grace saw in his icy blue hues torments her mind. 

 

* * *

 

“Are you even trying to be discrete? If so, you’re doing a terrible job.” Loki stops in his repetitive walk, his head turning to face the stranger.” At ease, I’m not. I’m Grace and an agent here. Loki, right?” She tells him, her hands behind her back, a nervous habit of hers. Loki furrows his dark eyebrows, visibly tense but he remains silent. “I’m sorry if this is too forward for you but it seems my gut and your brother agree on something.” He raises a brow. “And?” 

 

Grace takes a moment to observe his facial features, a soft expression on her face. “Loki, are you in trouble? I’m not talking about your current situation but more… Are you being blackmailed? Forced to do this? I could be very wrong but you seem scared.” She speaks in a hushed tone, as if she’s trying to keep the conversation private. With cameras everywhere Grace doubts it will be but she tries anyway. Loki frowns, trying to not seem surprised. He quickly conceals it with an arrogant smile. “After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate. Is that what you’re trying to do?  _ Agent.” _

 

“I tend to do things on my own call when I see fit. After I spoke with your brother I just wanted to see if we could get anything out of you and I did.” 

 

“You don’t seem like the meek woman I’ve been told but you’re just pretending. Trying to seem stronger than you really are. Shouldn’t you hate me for trying to rule you dearest Earth?”

 

Brown hues meet blue ones. “I’m good at choosing who to hate on my own.”

She leaves Loki to his slight confusion, her chest tight as she makes her way to a certain blond but a familiar voice interrupts her. “So you really think he’s not acting on his own free will?” Without turning her head, Grace replies. “Positive.” Natasha hums, green eyes watching the tall figure in the cage. “I’ll see what his plan is in his current state.” Nodding her head, the singer proceeds on her walk, leaving the redhead alone to deal with the God of Mischief. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Care to explain?” Steve has her cornered in an empty hallway. Grace can tell by his tone, expression and body language that the man is beyond angry, pissed. Her chocolate hues flicker to what seems to be a Hydra assault rifle. “Where did you find that?” She seems as shocked as he is but Steve is convinced she’s on the act. “You follow Fury around constantly, shouldn’t you be telling me what this is?” 

 

“I can assure you, I do not know whatever is it that Fury’s planning. He doesn’t tell me anything and I frankly want to find out just as much as you do.” Her brows are furrowed on her forehead. The blond takes a moment to properly observe her. She’s quiet, doesn’t talk much so he can’t tell if she’s a threat or not. “Tell me where Fury is heading right now and I’ll see if I trust you, agent Masson.” 

 

Grace swallows the lump in her throat. This is just absurd. It’s a big misunderstanding. She knows nothing about Fury other than he gives her orders and she executes them. Still, when Steve moves backwards, leaving her space to breathe, she does so. “I think he would be checking on the scientists… I was going there myself. Follow me, sir.” The woman seems out of it, paler. The Captain can’t tell if it’s because he’s caught her, SHIELD, or if it’s because he was too forceful with her. The agent showed kindness to their captive, it could all be an act. She could make a run for it, clearly has the advantage to run but she doesn’t and that’s enough to convince Steve to put a tiny bit of trust in her. 

 

So when they reach the laboratory, the blond stops when he hears the soft voice reach out to him. “Rogers, I think you have the wrong idea of me. I find that Fury is full of secrets and it has made it hard for me to trust him at all since the very beginning. I know what you might be thinking and just know that I trust you.” Captain America spares her a glance then a nod before they barge into the room. 

 

“What is phase 2?”

 

Steve immediately sets the assault rifle onto the table, every head in the room turns to the pair. “PHASE 2 is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons.” He turns to Tony. “Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow.”

 

“Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're…” Nick attempts to explain but then Grace interrupts him, disbelief in her voice. “Fury, why are you doing this?” 

 

“I’m sorry Nick.” Is all Tony says before he shows the director the computer screen, on it are the plans to create the weapons. “What were you lying?”

 

“I was wrong, director. The world hasn't changed a bit.” 

 

Thor and Natasha join the room, immediately feeling the tension in the air. The redhead’s eyes are stuck on Banner, watching him like a hawk. The Doctor takes notice and lashed out at her. “Did you know about this?”

 

“You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?”

 

“I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed.”

 

“Loki's manipulating you.” “And you've been doing what exactly?”

 

“You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you.”

 

“Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction.”

 

“Because of him.” Nick interrupts Natasha and Banner’s bickering and point at Thor. The one man who has yet to speak a word in this heated argument. “Me?” He asks, stunned. “Last year earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned.” The SHIELD director continues his explanation. 

 

“My people want nothing but peace with your planet.” 

 

“But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled.”

 

“Like you controlled the cube?” Steve retorts what everyone in the room had been thinking. “Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war.” Thor adds as well. At this point, Grace backs away from everyone slowly. They are all too worked up from this and there’s bound to have a fight if this continues but all she can think about is how fast her heart is beating. The ringing in her ears, then the heavy breathing. She manages to go unnoticed as they continue to add on to the last person’s argument. Her attention drifts towards the scepter on its stand, it glows. 

 

* * *

 

An explosion hits the Helicarrier, blasting the right engine right off. The shock of it causes severe turbulence, everyone in the laboratory is disoriented. Grace hits the table before being thrown back towards Steve where they collide. He helps her up before directing his head towards Tony. “Put on the suit!” Steve, being the blessing he is, guides Tony and Grace out of the laboratory. The agent spares a moment to help Fury, who seems injured, into a sitting position. Dragging him out into the hallway. Chaos unleashing everywhere in the Helicarrier. As quickly as he can manage,Nick slips an earpiece in his ear while offering one to Grace. 

 

“Hill?!” The superior coughs out. 

 

“Somebody's got to get inside and patch that engine.” Is all Grace catches once her earpiece is securely placed in her ear. “Stark we need you!” She calls out after dragging Fury to the nearest wall outside of Banner’s laboratory. When the man practically gestures the agent away to be useful, Grace doesn’t need to be told twice. 

 

Natasha comes to her mind at first during the chaos. Is she okay? She was escorting the doctor back to his room and he seemed a bit.. Green. Anything could have triggered the Hulk seeing him in that state. Hill, being the badass she is, could definitely handle things on her side. Tony and Steve were charged with repairing the engine so Grace felt less guilty about checking on her friend. 

 

The world loved to prove her right. Multiple machines had been broken when she arrived to the scene. Her chest tightened with the familiar anxiety growing inside. Anything could have happened to the redhead at this point. Of course Natasha was an absolute badass and strong as hell, but that did not mean she could handle going on against the Hulk. When Grace finally found the woman, sitting against a wall and holding her leg while trembling, she was at her side almost immediately. Even startling the poor lady, clearly preoccupied with the horror she had just lived through. 

 

“Nat, it’s me. Let me see your leg, alright? Focus on your breathing.” With the softest of a voice she could conjure, Grace gently pried the woman’s hands away from the limb. Digits lightly grazed the cloth covered the leg. No blood, a good sign. “Up, I’ll support you up and bring you out of here.” 

 

Once Grace had Natasha’s arm over her shoulders and a hand on her side, she brought the spy up the stairs and into an abandoned hallway. It was a slow process but her friend was making the efforts to cooperate to make the situation easier for the two of them. They finally make it to the lower equipment room.

 

“It's Barton. He took out our systems. He's headed for the detention level. Does anybody copy?”

 

“This is Agent masson, I copy.” Grace says while touching her earpiece, brown hues locking with Natasha’s green ones. “It’s alright, you don’t have to worry about it. I’ll be back with Clint and we’ll be reunited, the three of us.” The singer makes leave but manages to catch her friend’s concerned voice before she’s out of the room. “Be careful, Grace.”

 

“I will, take it easy.”

 

* * *

  
  


Clint is alone when he’s walking down the catwalk, an air of confidence in his movements. In a split second, he nocks an arrow and aims behind him, directly at Grace who managed to sneak up on him until this second. She dodges it, using the opportunity to leap in and attempt to knee the man in the stomach. Clint sees it coming and simply takes a side step, going in for a punch. Grace grabs his wrists and twists his arm behind his back, Clint drops his bow but swiftly unsheathes his knife. He clearly intends to slice her skin or even stab her for an opening to get out of her hold and when the blade comes too near to her face to Grace’s liking, she lets go of Clint and takes a few steps back. She dives in under the machines surrounding the catwalk, crawling around her foe to seek for an opening. When Grace jumps out, she kicks at Clint’s ankles, causing him to fall on his back, his head taking a hit as it hits the metal floor. 

 

“Grace…?” Is all Clint manages out of his mouth before she grabs his head and slams it against the cool floor, knocking him out. A loud sigh escapes her lips as she finally allows her eyes to settle on the man’s face. The corner of her lips tug into a smile as she pulls him onto her back. Grace makes sure to grab his knife and most importantly, his bow and the loose arrow he shot in the beginning of their fight. He’d be needing them for later after all. 


	4. Chapter 4

Grace left the unconscious archer in one of their spare rooms, strapped to the bed. They couldn’t take any chances. Natasha decided to stay with him since she could now run around and would easilier knock the man out if he would act out. The next time Grace sees the two, Clint is restraint free while being consoled by Natasha. She stands by the door,a hand resting on the frame of it. “Hey… I’m glad you’re back with us. How are you?”

 

“Like I got my head smashed against the floor multiple times. Thanks by the way.” Clint replies, lifting his head to give the woman a smile. “Nat told you?” Grace gives Natasha a glance before averting her brown hues back to the man, a huff of amusement leaving her. “Well, yes and no. I remember part of what happened.” The singer slides further into the room to take a seat, her hand rubbing Clint’s back in a circular motion. “It’s alright, you’re fine now, Clint.” 

 

Natasha and Clint were the only two people Grace was glad she still had by her side. She’s known them for so long, all the missions they’ve shared. Grace could proudly say she trusted them with every fiber in her body knowing they felt the same way. 

 

“Let’s get to the medical room, we’re not done fighting.” Natasha speaks up, the other two simply nod their heads and follow her without another word. 

 

Fortunately, Grace didn’t need to have anything looked out. One of the perks of being cautious and strategic she guessed. Her two friends had to get patched up here and there but none of it was anything life threatening. Clint excuses himself to go to the restroom leaving the two women together, they share a look but don’t share words. 

 

A few moments pass before they see Captain America fully geared up walk towards them. “Time to go.”

 

“Go where?” Natasha asks him, confused. “I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?”

“I can.” Clint tells the Captain as he walks out of the restroom. Steve looks at Grace and she nods her head, easing his worries instantly. “You got a suit?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Then suit up.”

 

As the three gear up while Captain America patiently waits for them, they know that they are going towards the fight. It’s now too late to pull back, the cowards way out of an inevitable fight. It’s war now.

 

They’re walking side by side towards the Quinjet, no one stops to question them but the one man in it. “You are not authorized to be here…”

 

“Son… Just don’t.”

 

* * *

 

A blue energy blast hits the Quinjet when they finally arrive in New York. It catches in flames and Clint has no choice but to put them on the ground. The jet crashes onto the street loudly but everyone seems uninjured thanks to their seatbelts and the archer’s piloting skills. The squad quickly detach themselves from their seats and exit by the jet’s ramp. They are in a four-way street, Natasha has her dual pistols, Clint has his bow, Steve with his trusty shield. Grace takes a moment, stopping to gaze at her wrists where the thick silver cuff-like bracelets are, unsure to as if she should use them. Well, she could start with her own pistols but their opponents weren’t exactly human.  

 

There isn’t more time given to the woman to think it over when a vast shadow covers the group. In sync, they all snap their heads up only to see a Chitauri Leviathan flying out of the portal, on its back hundreds of soldiers. Alright, the pistols it is. 

 

The Chitauri make the first move, they cling off the Leviathan and onto the tall buildings of New York, some even crashing into them. Once on their feet, they immediately start firing their energy rifles at the civilians. That’s all the squad needs to jump into action. The group makes a run for the upside taxi cars, just a few seconds after a chain explosion starts. It blasts cars and the innocent away as they attempt to run away from all the chaos.

 

“Those people need assistance down there.” Captain America tells the group right before a few Chitauri come in for an ambush but Grace and Natasha are faster, shooting them down with their pistols. “We got this. It's good. Go!” Black Widow yells out, already attacking another group of the alien soldiers. Steve turns to Hawkeye now, “You think you can hold them off?”

 

“Captain,” Clint starts, pulling a trigger on his bow, switching his arrows. “It would be my genuine pleasure. With that, he shoots a Chitauri directly in the head. Steve uses the opportunity and makes a run for it.

 

Grace runs towards a bus, catching glance of multiple children with their parents stuck in the vehicule. Once she reaches the jammed door, the agent kicks it down, making sure no one would get in the way beforehand. People rush out immediately to get to safety. When she’s sure everyone got out, Grace turns on her heel to make her way back to the two other spies but multiple soldiers block her way to them. 

 

Pistol in hand, safety off, she pulls the trigger. One falls limply onto the concrete floor covered in debris. Another rests on an abandoned car as Grace takes a few steps forward to her destination. It’s going too slow to her liking so she discards the gun, clicking the hidden buttons on her silver cuffs. Gauntlets take the form on her forearm and knuckles as Grace sprints towards a group of them. A punch directed at its face is enough to make it fly a yard away, the impact killing it on the spot. A frown forms on her face as her brows furrowed in concentration. There’s many of the alien soldiers running around, they would have to work in a team to get rid of all of them since they were a small group against hundreds of them. 

 

* * *

 

After rounds and rounds of the soldier aliens, the spy managed to regroup with the rest of her team. Shortly after, the Captain gave out his orders and they were all separated for the exception of Natasha, Steve and herself. Hulk gone off to smash his way around a few streets away. 

 

As of right now, the group watched in worry as Tony gripped the nuke headed directly onto them and push it off its course. Heading straight into the portal. 

 

“Stark, you know that's a one-way trip?” Steve asked, voice projecting into his earpiece. 

 

At this point, everyone at the scene and all the civilians watching the television hold their breaths as Iron Man flies into the portal. Seconds later, all the Chitauri and Leviathans squirm around before dropping dead. The supernova the missile caused starts to come their way but Steve knows the only way to prevent it is to close the portal even if Tony is still in it. 

 

“Close it.”

 

With that, the portal quickly closes but a small figure hurled backwards plummeting to the Earth. Iron Man. Relief.

 

“Son of a gun!” Steve cheers happily seeing his teammate escaped from the portal just in time. 

 

“He’s not slowing down.” Thor observes, already swinging Mjölnir to fly to the man. Panic.

 

But then, the Hulk, out of nowhere jumps in to grab Iron Man. He throws the man off of his green person. Thor immediately rips off the Iron Man’s helmet to reveal Tony’s bloodied face. He looks… dead almost. They all stand around him, unsure. Grace grips her arm as she witnesses the scene. A roar of fury startles everyone but Tony lets out a yell, waking up. 

 

“What the hell? What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me?”

 

“We won.”

 

“Alright. Hey. Alright. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day. Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I wanna try it.”

 

Grace looks at everyone a smile on her face but when she sees Thor looking directly at the tower, she remembers that they aren’t done yet. “We're not finished yet.” Thor breaks the moment. 

 

“And then shawarma after.”

 

* * *

 

The group is now taking their much needed break, most of them are eating in the shawarma joint that miraculously stayed open during all of the chaos. Loki is secured and currently hanging out on the sidewalk, chained. Grace can’t help the glances she takes in his direction while the group eats in silent. It feels much too awkward for her even if Clint and Natasha are there. She decides that Loki wouldn’t mind the extra company. 

 

Getting up, Grace grabs her sandwich. She reassures the group that she’ll simply be outside for a moment and they don’t question her further. 

 

“May I?” When Loki doesn’t give her a reply, she sits next to him. He’s harmless and injured. Grace has nothing to worry about. After all, she’s still convinced the man is simply another victim. 

 

“Are you hungry? I feel too nervous to eat in there so I was hoping you’d take this off my hands.” She explains with her soft voice before slowly placing the wrapped food on the man’s lap. Then Loki turns to face her, he looks tired, so very tired. Grace offers him a smile, she’s not looking her best either. Loose strands of hair falling onto her, dirt on her outfit but she makes the effort. The artist has always been a kind person, willing to give others a second chance no matter their mistakes. Holding grudges for a lifetime just seems too sad and consuming. 

 

Loki makes no moves to eat or to speak back to her, it’s fairly understandable. A woman he fought against mere moments ago is suddenly offering food and kindness, it’s a trap. 

 

Dainty hands reach for the sandwich, bringing it to her mouth so she can take a small bite before placing it back. “It’s not poisoned, I promise. How are you? Well, mentally. The green guy was rough so it’s normal you’d be sore since you’re Asgardian, huh.” 

 

Again, no answer. She’s probably just bothering him at this point. Grace averts her gaze, her lips press into a thin line as she stares at the rest of the road before her. A silence forming between them. 

 

Then, Loki starts eating the food she gave him, Grace knows better than to comment on it so she lets her chocolate orbs close. When he finishes, she decides that it would be best to return inside with the others considering she doesn’t want to bother the God any further. As Grace’s hand grasps the handle, Loki mutters the first words during that hour. “You should have stayed with them.”

 

“I don’t mind.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not been seen by a beta so if you do find mistakes don't be afraid to point them out.

It’s been a few weeks since the whole New York ordeal, Loki was returned to Asgard while being escorted by his brother and fellow Avenger, Thor. There has been no major incidents since, as if anything could top an alien invasion at this point. The Stark tower has been turned into the Avenger tower where most of the team stays now. Grace decided to resume her traveling since they had been interrupted the last time. Iceland’s breathtaking nature and hot springs were truly a sight. It would definitely be on her list once more when the agent decided she wanted a short vacation in peace and a relaxing soak.

 

All vacations must come to an end unfortunately, the plane ride is quiet for the most part. The cries of infants on occasion but it is relatively a good flight. It is a rather short one, a bonus she supposes though being disconnected from the world for a few hours is quite nice while nerve wracking for others. 

 

The landing goes well, there’s no complications even when it comes to gathering her luggages. Moments afterwards, she calls a cab. The first thing Grace notices once she steps out is the lack of sunlight, a low breeze lifting the edges of her long dress. Once the driver is there, they call out to her and packs her things in the trunk before settling in the back seat. It’s a rather long drive to the tower and her chauffeur does not force conversation. While being lightly jetlagged, Grace finds it in her to admire the few stars she can see in the city, the rest masked by the pollution.

 

Her destination is greeted with a soft gasp from the driver but Grace ignores it, paying them before retrieving her luggages. The spy is in the elevator before she knows it. The metallic doors open to reveal the common room of the tower and the room is empty as she walks in further, odd. 

 

It’s then that footsteps are audible, she turns to the source only to be greeted by Thor, the Asgardian none of the Avengers had seen since he left with Loki. Grace lets her bag fall on the group before approaching him, smiling. 

 

“Thor, it’s good to see you but what brings you back so soon? It’s merely been weeks.” The woman says, going in for a quick hug which the other returns without complaint. “Things have come up, Lady Grace. The Allfather has sent us here.” She pulls away from him to meet his gaze. “Us? Who did you come with?” Thor pauses, his blue eyes closing briefly. “He has requested for the Avengers to have custody of my brother, Loki, so he might have a chance at redemption for his actions.”

 

Surprise flashes over Grace’s face for a short moment. “What did the others say?” Is all she can manage to ask instead of asking to see him. “We’ve arrived in the early morning so I’ve had the chance to explain it to everyone. There were disagreements and arguments but in the end they agreed under a number of conditions.”  Understandable. 

 

“I see. I apologize for not being there to welcome you when you arrived. I’ve just returned from Iceland. Do visit it if you get the chance, I loved it.” She gestures to her luggage, before the smile returns to her face.

 

“Grace! You’re back. Here let me help you.” They turn to find Clint coming out of the elevator. “Yeah, I just got back a few minutes ago, Clint. How have you been?” The archer mumbles something she can’t hear but she turns to Thor one last time. “Well, I should retire for the night, I’m jetlagged. Good night to you, Thor and to your brother.” 

 

* * *

  
  


By the time Grace wakes up, the sun is still down. A quick glance at the clock by her bedside, three in the morning. Well, she didn’t expect to adjust just yet, give it a few days to get back into it. 

 

There’s no point to try to get more rest, she slept on the flight so the spy would survive the day. She’s had to do worse before anyway. Grace undoes her braid, letting her long wavy dark locks fall to her thighs. They could use a good brush. She takes a moment to ponder, tea would do her good at this hour. It’s decided, Grace exits her fairly large room, Tony wouldn’t have gone for anything else had she objected. Bare feet meet the cool floor with each step, it didn’t matter, the floors were often polished clean. The elevator ride is quick to the common room. It’s empty at first glance once more. Sane people were usually asleep at this hour, that makes sense but she wouldn’t put any of the Avengers in the sane category. It’s not everyone that would fight an endless army of aliens and live to tell the tale. 

 

She maneuvers herself in the darkness, most of the room already memorized in her head from the time Grace already spent in the tower. It’s only when she reaches the large tea selection does her hand reach for the light switch. In the corner of her eye, she spots a figure on the couch. The woman freezes for a few seconds, trying to make out the silhouette. Right, Thor brought Loki back to Earth with him. She looks back at the kettle she placed on the stove and back to the man, he seems to be minding his business, not even flinching when the light turned on. 

 

Finally, Grace approaches him slowly, standing behind the couch, his back to her. “Hey, would you like some tea? I can prepare you a mug, it’s no problem.” Loki finally turns to her, an unreadable expression on his features but he nods his head and that’s enough for Grace. Back into the kitchen, she pulls out two mugs. She would prepare him the same as she’s having, liquorice tea. Apparently she was the only one who liked it in the tower. If Loki didn’t like it, there’s more water so preparing another kind would be no trouble whatsoever.  

 

She brings the two mugs with ease and places them on the coffee table, pushin a white mug towards Loki. Taking a seat, Grace slowly sips on her drink. “Thank you, Lady… Grace?” She nods her head, watching him bring the mug to his lips hesitantly but Loki eventually drinks a bit of the warm liquid. “Do you like it? I can make another one for you if not. Sugar and milk can be added in as well, I drink mine black since I find it already sweet on its own.” The man shakes his head. “It’s great at it is.” With that, a comfortable silence forms between them. By the way Loki looks to be in deep thought, Grace anticipates him to speak his mind anytime soon but there’s no pressure. He must feel pressured enough as it is, being in his once enemies base and expected to act to their liking. Even if the horrible events that took place were by his hands, Grace likes to think that most villains are just like everyone else. They scream just as loud but the difference is that no one hears them. He deserves a second chance.

 

“You’re pitying me.” Loki interrupts the silence. She brings her gaze onto him to meet his eyes. It takes her a moment before Grace responds to the accusation. “No, it’s nothing like that. You seemed lonely sitting in the dark and I decided to join you.” He doesn’t say anything so she continues. “Would you believe me if I said I was lonely and wanted someone to sit with?”

 

“Then you’ve got many options to choose from.” 

 

“Not really, I don’t particularly enjoy large groups so I’m often alone. They’re social people. Well, for the most part.” Her voice is so soft that Loki leans in closer to hear her properly, she didn’t want to wake anyone at this hour. Plus, this was a rather private conversation. 

 

“Alright.” He takes a sip.

 

“The others might come off in the wrong way but give it time.”

 

Another sip.

 

“Were you in full control of your actions?”

He freezes for a few seconds and Grace knows better than to repeat the question. Loki will talk to her if he wants to. She’s not here to interrogate him, she’s here to make the chances easier on him. If Loki will allow her to. 

 

“No.” 

 

She’s surprised and content that the man allows himself to be vulnerable with a stranger. He’s probably already lost hope so whatever he admits to her won’t matter is what Grace thinks at first. Maybe she’s too trusting, too kind offering her heart out. 

 

“Alright, I’m glad you’re willing to tell me. Do you have any hobbies?”

 

“I mostly read.”

 

“That’s great, I have some books you can choose from.” At the mention of books, Loki seems to cheer up a bit but it’s hard to tell when someone is so good at a poker face. There no smirk on his features, he must really be tired. 

 

Seeing as both of their mugs are empty, Grace gives him a smile before bringing them into the sink where she rinses them quickly. She passes Loki and stops before the elevator. “Would you like to choose now?”

 

Loki leaves the couch to stand beside her, he’s still wearing his asgardian wear. It’s only then Grace notices how tall he is, she doesn’t even reach his eye when they stand side by side and she’s tall for a woman. Once they reach her floor, the spy guides the God to her room. It’s exactly how she left it, neat for the exception of her bed. It’s a fairly large bookshelf but needs more books to fill it completely. Perhaps Loki could take care of that. She pulls out a novel, inspecting it before handing it to him. 

 

“It’s about a boy who finds out he can do magic so he’s invited to a special school. I explain it horribly but I’m sure you’ll like it.”

 

Loki’s long pale fingers caress the cover of the book as he nods to her. “Thank you, I’ll get right into it.” 

 

“Sure, would you like to read it here or back in your own room? I won’t mind if you choose to stay here.”

 

“I’ll start it here, thank you for having me, Lady Grace.” With that, he moves to sit on the chair placed by the desk in her room. Grace returns to her bed, sitting on the edge of it. She grabs the hairbrush on the nightstand, immediately bringing it onto her wavy locks. Starting from the bottom and slowly going up until she reaches the roots. The whole time Loki is deep into the novel, paying her no mind. Grace braids her hair once more before settling against her pillows, pulling her phone out. Scrolling through social media and forms were a good way to relax and to kill the time. Stealing glances at the man situated at her desk every now and then.

 

It’s only two hours in that a yawn forces itself out of her mouth, the lazing around must have tired her out. “I should leave now, thank you once more.” Loki says, getting up. He looks over to the book then back to Grace. “May I take it with me?”

 

“Sure, why don’t you take the second volume while you’re at it? You made quite the dent in it already.” Grace lifts herself off her bed to retrieve said book, handing it to Loki. He gives her a nod, going for the door. “Rest well, Lady Grace.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please give me your feedback on the story so far!

The next time Grace wakes up, the sun is up. The sunlight creeping through the blinds she has installed in front of her windows. Last night coming back to her slowly. It had surprisingly been easy to get the man to comply, he didn’t whine or make it difficult for her to talk with him. There were obvious walls, sturdy walls Loki keeps himself in. What even was he doing there, sitting in the dark for God knows how long. She’s glad no one else had been there to witness the scene, thinking it hard to explain why she was acting kind towards a man that was their enemy just days ago. 

 

None of the Avengers were fully good, including Grace. She’s killed for the sake of killing in the past. So had Natasha and Clint during the ridiculous assassinations missions they’ve been on together. Weren’t they just as bad? The only difference being they had not been caught. 

 

Eleven in the morning, the others would still be getting breakfast. Grace forgot to greet them yesterday since she came back late from her trip. Time to do so.

 

The moment the elevator doors open, all eyes are on her. Everyone is surprised to see her for the exception of Clint, Thor and Loki who had seen her the night before. Grace gives them a small wave before joining them at the island in the large kitchen. Natasha giving her a quick hug before returning to her conversation with… Banner. Interesting things must have happened while she was gone. 

 

“Hey, you got back last night, right? Sorry, I wanted to welcome you back.” Steve walks towards her with a smile. While things between them started off in a rough start, they managed to build a friendship. “Yes, I did. It’s okay, I expected everyone to be asleep.” Grace returns the gesture, pulling herself on a stool next to Loki. The man had his nose in the book she lent him. Thor gives her a bright smile, too occupied with his breakfast to talk to her. The rest seem rather on edge when Grace took the seat next to Loki but no one speaks up. He’s supposed to be a part of the team now, it wouldn’t look good on them to fight with their newest member. 

 

“So, what did I miss while I was gone?” 

 

“Well, as you can probably tell, Reindeer Games is now part of the team. So don’t go picking fights with him, little mermaid. Something about redeeming himself since New York isn’t apparently a hundred percent his fault. I don’t know, it’s his dad’s way of grounding him.” Tony looks like he hasn’t sleep at all, which in all fairness he most likely did not, knowing him. The little mermaid, Tony’s nickname for her ever since he found out her codename was ‘Siren’. In all honesty, it could have been worse, way worse. 

 

“I see, I hope you’ve been treating him nicely?” Grace asks them, feeling hopeful for positive answers.

 

“Probably not your definition of nice but we’ve been treating him fine. Unfortunately, trust doesn’t appear out of the blue. Especially after what happened.” Natasha replies for the group, no one adds in a word, content with the way she described it. 

 

When Grace steals a glance at Loki, she realizes he’s not in his asgardian clothes anymore. Thor must have suggested he adapt to the clothes they have on Earth as he himself has been doing considering Loki would be here for quite some time. The man seems uninterested in the conversation they are having about him, in his presence.

 

“That’s nice to hear. Are you going on missions? It’s odd that everyone is free at the same time.” The singer asks, silently thanking Steve for bringing her a mug of tea, liquorice, and a plate of breakfast. “Yeah, they want the Captain, Tasha and I to check something out.” Clint says between bites. Grace gives him a short hum as reply, not wanting to speak with her mouth full. “I’ll be working with Tony in the lab.” Banner says, holding a mug of coffee. With that being said, the rest of breakfast goes well, they chat between each other about everything and nothing. Grace only focuses on her breakfast.

 

* * *

 

The trio left already, taking the Quinjet with them since no one else was scheduled for anything for the next few days. Consider it a blessing, a few more days off before Grace has to be productive. While she mostly participated in the stealth and information gathering types of missions, they could take quite the toll on her. 

 

Currently, she’s hanging out alone in the living room in their common room. Banner and Tony long gone as well, they always seem eager to get back to work. Usually, Grace would just retreat back to the comfort of her room but with Thor and well, Loki, back, she finds herself excited to talk to them again. While she finds it odd how Loki manages to bear her presence, let alone open up to her slightly, Grace doesn’t understand. 

 

Speak of the devils, Thor walks into the room followed by Loki. It seemed like the younger of the two followed his brother wherever he went in the tower. Well, she didn’t blame. The tower is full of people who tried to come close to killing him not long ago. 

 

“Lady Grace! How do you fare on this day?” Thor’s loud voice fills the large room. “I’m well, thank you, Thor. How are you two?” The brothers seat themselves on the seats adjacent of her so they could easily see each other during their discussion. 

“Fine, I must say, do you offer such hospitality to anyone?” Loki answers before his brother can get a word in. Thor is a bit confused about what the other is referring to. 

 

“No, but you were good company and seemed harmless enough. If it put you on edge, don’t feel pressured to do things just because you are in the Avengers custody, Loki.” She explains easily, raising her soft voice loud enough for them to hear. “What do you mean?” Thor asks with his eyebrows furrowed. “I ran into him last night, offered him a drink before inviting him to choose a few books from my collection. He stayed for awhile.”

 

“Yes, you were right to assume I would enjoy the story.” At this point, Thor is simply nodding his head at every sentence shared. “You’re welcome to come back to get the next volumes. There are seven in total.” 

 

Loki smiles with something similar to mischief. Obviously it is. “Good to know, Lady Grace.”

 

“I’m glad you are showing my brother the same kindness you show us considering the horrible events that took place, Lady Grace. The others aren’t as accepting so you have my gratitude. And brother! I’m proud, you’ve made a friend.” Thor places his hand on Loki’s shoulder to which the other shrugs off with an annoyed look on his face. 

“Quit it you oaf! I’ve had plenty of friends before.” The God of Mischief retorts rather defensively. It’s only then Grace’s brown hues land on a bracelet covering Loki’s wrist. Right, the team did not trust the man roaming around freely with his prodigious amount of power that had been aimed at them in the past. 

 

The two mean bicker with each other, _ it’s what siblings do _ , Grace thinks as she stares at the table in front of them. She wouldn’t want to interrupt the two since the spy knows barely anything about them, she wouldn’t know how to contribute to the discussion. 

 

“So, friend! What do you specialize in?” Thor’s question snaps Grace back into reality. The singer blinks a few times, slowly turning her head to face them. Loki seems as interested as his brother is. 

 

“I usually gather information for S.H.I.E.L.D undercover. It’s nothing that interesting currently. I used to partake in assassinations in the past with Clint and Natasha but I’m retired from that ever since I got caught on my last job.” She admits easily. 

 

“And how long ago was that?” Thor’s curiosity gets the best of him.  

 

“Years ago, I was tortured so it put me out of commission for awhile. When it was time to get back to work, I couldn’t seem to get back into it so I stopped.” Grace feels uncomfortable admitting this to the two Asgardians, Fury, Clint and Natasha were the only ones who knew. But since they are going to be a team, they would have to get to know each other. 

 

“I agree, torture is nowhere near pleasurable. I would know since I was captured by that purple titan for a year.” Loki’s words are filled with aggravation but not towards them. Thor doesn’t seem surprised by this, Loki must have told him before. 

 

“A year… That’s incredibly rough. If it makes you feel better, I don’t blame you for what happened. I’m sure Thor doesn’t as well.” 

 

“Of course, brother. I’m on your side and Lady Grace seems to be as well. You know, when we first captured you, she was the one who suggested there might have been some mind control of some sort on you.” The God of Thunder adds, his hands reaching to grab their shoulders as he speaks of them. Loki only watches her more intensely. Noticing that, Grace shys away from the look, her gaze locked with the floor. 

 

“A person’s eyes says a lot, more than one would think.” She explains.

 

“I agree.” Is all Loki says before giving the woman a slight smirk.

 

“Right then, I was showing Loki around the tower before we ran into you. I believe it would be wise to continue on with the tour. Would you like to join us, Lady Grace?” Thor stands up from his seat, he towers the both of them. Well, not really Loki since the man is almost as tall as the blond but Grace is only at five feet and her eight inches tall. 

 

“I’m sorry, I’ll be retreating to my room to finish up something. Feel free to come see me at anytime.” With that, Thor and Loki enter the elevator, leaving her alone in the common room once more. 


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days pass without much issues, the first mission she’s called on is to conduct a stakeout on a few guys. It’s nothing serious so Grace finishes in a matter of a few days. 

 

Loki drops by every now and then, always to return the last book he borrowed and to get the next. He stays a little bit before excusing himself, never staying too long. As if the man doesn’t want to outstay his welcome. Grace does not mind but that’s for Loki to ask her himself. 

 

She’s running low on novels for him, maybe a bit of shopping was due. Alright, today is a good day run errands. Clint isn’t scheduled either. Grace picks up her phone, sending the archer a quick text. He responds second after, confirming his presence. 

 

Being an Avenger wasn’t already great. You put your life in danger every day and people don’t leave you alone. They will take pictures without your consent if they catch you in public. Grace doesn’t wear much makeup but she finds that wearing it helps her stand out less in the city of New York. The public has never seen fighting with a face full before. 

 

She stops at the common room to pick up her friend. Clint is talking with Steve and Thor. Natasha and Loki are occupied with their own things but they give her a nod. 

 

“Are you going out?” Steve asks her. 

 

“Yes, I need to get a few things. Clint, are you ready?” Grace shoots the archer a glance while she adjusts the strap on her purse on her shoulder. 

 

“Yeah, got everything? Alright, we’ll be back later.” With that, he guides her back towards the elevator. “Bye guys!” The spy gives her teammates a quick wave, she doesn’t miss how Loki’s gaze lingers on the two of them as the doors close.

 

* * *

 

“Glad you invited me, I was thinking of getting things for my kids and wife back home.” Clint tells her, his arms holding onto a few bags. They’d stop by the post office so he could send them off before he forgets and have them live at the tower with him for months. 

 

“Well, thank you for coming with me. I needed to get more books.” Grace gives the man a wide smile. Clint was one of the few she felt truly comfortable with. Most likely since she’s known him for so long. “Yeah, I saw that. You got quite a lot. Back into reading or something?”

 

“They’re not for me actually. Loki almost read all the books I have at the tower so I thought I’d get him more since he can’t exactly go out yet.” She’s careful with her words. Clint was the one who was the most affected by Loki’s presence out of the team but he knew how to remain civil. 

 

“Seems like it’s all he does. You seem to have taken a liking to him, you sure you know what you’re doing, Grace?”

 

The woman doesn’t answer her partner directly, they walk in silence for a few more moments. 

 

“I think he deserves redemption, especially since he was blackmailed into doing it. Loki hasn’t given me a reason to be wary of him since he moved it, I’ll put my trust in him. Someone other than his brother has to.”

 

“You’re too kind for your own good, Grace. I’ll be watching him but you’re right. Though his smartass remarks do get on my nerves.” At that, Clint huffs in annoyance at the mention. Grace chuckles as they exit the mall after two productive hours.

 

“Right, let’s get to the postal office before we forget to mail your gifts.” 

 

“I think I’ll ask Laura to send me a video of their reactions.”

 

“I’m sure they’ll love them, Clint. They’re from their dad!”   
  


* * *

 

Grace decides to not give Loki all of the new books she bought. She would gift him a few in person but the next, probably hide a few in his room for him to find. The thought of surprising a friend makes her happy and excited to catch their reactions. 

 

There’s a total of thirty books, so she plans how Loki will receive them. It has to catch him off guard. But for now, she calls Jarvis. 

 

“Jarvis? Can you please tell Loki to meet me in my room?”

 

“Certainly, agent Masson.”

 

Loki’s at her door a mere ten minutes after she requested for him. Sooner than she expected. He knocks on the door a few times before calling out to her. 

 

“Lady Grace? The voice, Jarvis, told me to come see you.”

 

The door opens to reveal the God, wearing casual clothing instead of his very uncomfortable looking armour. “Hey, Loki. Come in for a bit.” She steps aside when Loki enters her room. He settles with standing in the middle of the room, anticipating for what Grace called him for. 

 

“You requested for my presence and what for?” 

 

“I noticed you read most of my bookshelf so I went out today to get a few more.” With that, Grace grabs a bag filled with merely a sixth of the books she bought, holding out to the man. Loki leans his head closer, stealing a peak before accepting the bag. He looks surprised but doesn’t admit it. Grace lets him inspect the components, her face clean of the makeup. The only thing gracing her features, a smile. 

 

“I’m quite grateful actually, Lady Grace. I didn’t think you kept count of which I read.” Loki returns her smile, his large cold hand bringing her smaller one to his mouth where he plants a soft kiss to the back of it. Grace can feel her face warm up at the action and she hopes he doesn’t notice. The man’s smirk convince her otherwise but Loki does not tease her further. Heading for the door, throwing Grace a last glance. 

 

“I’ll see it to return the favour.” 

 

And he’s gone before she can remind him it’s a gift rather than a favor.

 

* * *

 

Grace realizes that twenty five hardcover books is overdoing it. If only she thought about that before buying them all. And shame on Clint for not questioning her, he knew it would end up like this. 

 

She starts by hiding two. The spy gets access to his room by simply asking Jarvis if the door is locked but to her surprise, it’s not. Loki is with Thor elsewhere so it’s the only opportunity she gets today. 

 

As Grace steps into the room, green is the colour that pops out the most. The curtains are green, the bed sheets are green and even the carpet is green. All a deep emerald in hue. 

 

She places a book underneath his pillow, he’d find it quickly, she hopes. The next, well, Grace doesn’t really hide it. It’s placed on the dark brown desk and she makes it so the piece of literature looks out of place on purpose. 

 

Smiling to herself in satisfaction, Grace slips out of the room and joins the team in the living room. Everyone is home tonight so Tony planned a night in. She can’t sit this one out.

 

* * *

 

Obviously there is alcohol, this is Tony Stark we are talking about. Everyone allows themselves to have a few drinks, nothing overboard. Being drunk basically mean a physical burden to the people around you and the Avengers know their limits.

 

“You know, I should call you Rapunzel instead of little mermaid.” Tony’s voice is loud so it catches the group’s attention. 

 

“Because of my hair?” Grace’s voice is small in contrast, she’s not a fan of the multiple pair of eyes and ears. Her hands going to pull the long black hair over her shoulder. She’s insecure about what people think of it, some say it’s beautiful but others complain that it’s a waste of space. 

 

“It’s like so long, the longest I’ve ever seen.”

 

Grace’s chocolate hues are glued to her lap, watching how the dark hair falls on it. Her fingers brush the loose hair, anxious behaviour. She can’t tell if the tipsy Tony means to pick fun at her.

 

“I’ve been told that a lot…” She trails off, not knowing where the conversation is going. Her brows furrow on her forehead.

 

There’s an awkward silence, Tony doesn’t continue his train of thoughts.

 

“Tony, lay off. Your hair is beautiful, Grace. He had too much to drink, he’s talking too much.” Natasha comes to her rescue, she looks slightly irritated with the man but doesn’t push it. 

 

“What? I didn’t say it was ugly! I was just commenting on the length of it.” Tony is quick to defend himself, he seems to feel bad for coming across wrong. This makes Grace feel better, a sigh of relief escapes her pink lips. 

 

“Sorry, I just get worried when it comes to my hair. Not everyone likes it, but in the end it’s my hair so what does it matter?” The singer forces a smile on her face and the team buys it. Good, she didn’t need the evening to be ruining by her insecurities.

 

They fall back into the conversations they were having, none wanting to ruin the ambiance by discussing about it more than necessary. Grace appreciates that. 

 

“I think your hair is quite lovely, beautiful even.” The smooth voice catches her off guard. Loki is now sitting next to her. Grace lifts her head to face him, their eyes locking. Her face is warm, is it the alcohol or the sudden compliment? She decides it’s the alcohol finally taking effect, yes, it’s the alcohol in her blood causing the butterflies in her stomach as well. 

 

“Thank you… Um, your hair is cool too.” The first thing you think isn’t always the best thing to say.  _ Lame, _ Grace thinks. She could have complimented the man on anything else, like his icy blue eyes for example. 

 

And she’s staring at him for too long. When Grace catches herself, she clears her throat, her face is flushed.  _ Think, anything to change the subject.  _

 

Loki’s expression has not changed from the beginning, his thin lips curved in his trademark smirk as he gazes at her directly. 

 

“So, did you get a chance to look at the books I got you?” She manages to get out.

 

“Yes, all seem interesting and potentially good to invest my time in.”

 

“Great! I checked a lot of different genres before deciding on them. You seem to enjoy the books I’ve enjoyed in the past, so I went with my gut feeling. A bit.”

 

“I’ll be sure to tell you if I enjoyed them, Lady Grace.”

 

“Oh, you don’t have to keep calling me ‘Lady’, just Grace is fine.” She says softly, her voice is timid. It’s Loki’s turn to pause as if he’s taking in consideration her statement. 

 

“Very well, Grace.”

 

The rest of the evening goes swimmingly, Grace chats with Loki the rest of the night, the both genuinely appreciating the company of the other. It’s only when the woman yawn’s behind her hand that they decide to call it a night. The other’s left hours ago. 

 

“I’m afraid my bed calls me. We can talk tomorrow, Loki.” Her voice is softer than usual and when she gets up, so does Loki. 

 

“Let me escort you, Grace.” And she can’t find it in herself to refuse the offer. Grace feels giddy with everything going on. The butterflies are still there, it’s like they never left. No way, Clint was right. She did take a liking to the asgardian man beside her. 

 

She’s lost in her thoughts until they reach the room. “Thank you, it was fun talking with you, Loki. See you tomorrow.” Grace doesn’t know what pushed her to give the prince a quick kiss on the side of his face but she does. And just like that, the spy retreats further into her room, closing the door before he can get a single word out. 


End file.
